Truss



Patent(ad Ost. 23, 1894.

(N0 Model.)

0. VERNIAUD. TRUSS.

OLAUDIUS VERNIAUD, OF QUINCY,ILLINOIS.

TRUSS.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 528,046, dated October 23, 1894.

Application fi1eli August 21, 1 893. Seria.l N0. 433679 (N0 111060L) tion, and eonstruction of parts as will bemore fully hereinafter described and designated in the elaixn.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elemtion 0f xny improved truss showing lt; applied to a person in the position it assumes when in practical use. Fig. 2 is a rear view in perspective of my improved Muss more elearly showing the sameit being detached. Fig.

3 is a rear elevation 0f 1ny improved. pad, which I make use of' in earrying out my invention, parts being broken away t0 more clearly show the construetion of same. Fig. 4 is a vertical central section 0f alle pad illustrated in Fig. 2, more elearly showing the construction of same. Fig.-5 is an enlarged detail plan view of a locking device, -which I make use of in ca-rrying oul; my invention. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a lock cletached from the locking device, the same beingshown by dotted lines in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a central section through the locking device, showing the manner in whieh it is engaged by the coup 1in g, which is earried by the eonnectingstrmp. Fig. 8 is a detail side elevation of one of the stiffening devices, whieh is madeuse of in carrying 01111 my invention. Fig. 9 is allenlarged detail view in perspective of a buekle, Which Imake use of in earrying ont my invenbion. Fig. 10 is a detail side elevation of' a portion of the under-strap, showing the manner in Which the coupliug is e onneeted thereto, and also showing the manner in whieh in is covered. Fig. 11 is a detailview in perspective 0f the pad retaining spring, and the spring upon which it is locat6cl. Figs. 12 anti 13 are like views, showing modi fied forms 0f said springs.

The objeet of my invention is to construct a truss with a pad adjustably mounted on a yielding spring in such a manner that the pad will always have the same pressure upon the hernia. as tl1e patienta assnnies different positions.

A further object of my invention is to sonstruct a,- truss with a. device whereby in sann readily be attached and detached from Ehe patients withoul; Ehe aid of buckles.

Referring to the drawings, the nurneral 1 designates an elastic halt, one eud of wh.ich is engaged by a lea.ther stiffening device 2, and the opposite end is eonstructed to eng-sage a buekle 3, whieh is carried byanother stififening device 4, l1e sa.me in eonstruetion as Ll1e stiffening device 2. By means of the buekle 3, the belt can be adjustecl to Ehe required length for fittlng dilferent patients.

The stiff'ening devices 2 and 4 being ex- 725 actly the same in construction, anti earrying springs the same in construetlon,l will limit; my description t0 one.

Oonneeted to tl1e leather stilfening devioe is a sheet metal spring 5, one end of whieh ls eonnected to the eng-aged. end of said stilfening device, ancl held in position therewit-h by a holt 6, tl1e opposite end being eonnected to the free end of said stiftening device b y a holt 7. Rigidly conrieeted to tl1e spring 5, adjaeent the holt 6, and held in position therewith by rivets 8, is a tapered segmental padretainlng spring 9, the outer freeend of whieh is provided With a. pad 10. ThlS pad 10 is prefembly construeted of wood and substantially V-shaped in cross-sectsion and is formed with a blunt portion on one side whiclm is eonstrueted 130 engage the hernia for retaining it in posiuion. The flat side of said pad is construeted witaha soekeb 12 whieh is ad- 0 justably mounted in a depression 17, whieh is formed longitudinally in said pad and rechangular in shape.

Connected 'tu the free e'ndof tl1e retainingspring 9 is a ball 11, which is 0f such. a size that: it will engage the socket 12 in Ehe pad 10, a.nd is bald in connection with said socket 1 by a plate 18, which is adj ustably conneeted to the flat side of the pa.d by screws 19 passing through parallel slots 20 forrned in sald plate. These screws after passing through said slots, are screwed inno the pad, and f0r adjusting saidplate thereon the sorews are loosened and the plate 18 is slipped to the required position and the sorews are tl1en tightened, whioh will retain said plate rigid with the pad.

The depression 17 being reotangular allows the soeket, whioh carries the ball, to move longitudinally therein. The ball 11 is nonnected 130 the retaining-spring 9 by a projection 13 being formed thereon, the 'outer screw-threaded end 14 of whieh is sornewhat smaller than the projeotion 13, and by this construotion forms a shoulder 15, w'vhieh the spring engages and is held in engagement therewith by a nut 16 being screwed. on the outer end 14. By the construetion of this nut, the pad can be readily detached from the retaining-spring 9, er made rigid therewith.

In Fig. 8 I have illustrated by dotsted lines 110W the location of the pad 10 can be ohai1ged, there being suitable apertures formed in the stifiening devices, so that the bolts 6 and 7 ean be inserted als different points for retaining the spring 5 als different angles relative to the edges of said stiffening deviees.

21 indicates locking devices, one being located on the side of each of the leather stiffening devices 2 and 4 on the opposite sides thereof from the pads and held. in position by the bolts 7. These looking devices being the same in construotion and operation, l will describe but; one.

22 indicates a ciroular plate, whieh is provided on its outer marginal edge With an annular rim 23, and extends downward. therefrorn a suitable distance so as so form a space between the lower surfaoe 0f said plate and the stiffening device upon whioh it is located.

24 indioates a depression formed in the canter of the circularplate 22, and said depression is provided with an aperture 25, through which the bolt 7 passes. Formed in the cireular plate 22 is a series of passages 26, whioh have smaller passages 27 projeeting outward radially therefronn and terminating a distance back from the oiroumferential edge of Said plate 22.

28 indicates a ciroular plate, which is constructed with a depression 29 in the eenter thereof, the same in construotion as the depression 24, and is provided with an aperture 30 to allow the holt 7 to pass through it for retaining said plate in connection with the outer surface of the eireular plate 22. This bolt 7 holds one end of the spring 5, the circular plate 22 and the eircular plate 28 in counection with the stiffenin g devioe as required for practical use. The depressions 25 am]. 29 are formed so as to oountersink the head of the holt 7, as illustrated in Fig. 7.

Formed on or fixed t0 the edge of the circular plate 28 is a projeotion 32, so that said plate oan be manipulated in the required direction by the operator engaging said projection loy bis thumb er fingen Formed in the top of the cireular plate 22 are a series of depressions 33, whioh are coustructed to loe engaged. by a projeotion formecl on the adjaoenb side of the plate 28. 'lhe plate 28 being made of thin 1netal it will spring and retain the projeotion in engagennent with the depression 33, until said platze has been manipulated by the operator. This projeotion on the plate 28 is the same distance from the aperture 30 as the depressions 33 are from the aperture 25 in the plate 21, so that when said. plate 28 is placed in the position illustrated in Fig. l, said projection will engage the depression and retain said plate in position until released by the operator.

Formed in the oircumferential periphery of the plate 28 are a series of radial passages 34. These passages are so oonstruoted as to forn1 projeetions 35 on said lock whioh cover the passages 26 in the plate 21, when said first menbioned plate is in the position illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 5.

35 indieates the non-elastio connecting strap, whieh is construoted With a buekle 36 so that it can be lengthened or shortened as may be required. Looated on this conneoting strap are two couplings 37, each of whieh is eonstruoted with a projection 38 formed integral therewith and a head 39 is formed on 01 fixed so the free end of said projeoti0n, which is of such a size that it can be readily inserted within the space beneat.h the lower surfaee of the oircular plate 22 through one 0f the passages 26 of said plate. B y the coustruetion of the annular rim 23 0r1 said plate, in forms the suitable space between said plate and the stiffening device upon whioh it is locaed to allow the head 39 to freely move between said plate and said stiffening device.

The projection 38 is of such a size that after the head has been inserted through the passage 26 of the plate 21 said projection oan be drawn out into the passage 27, and the head is of such a size that in cannot loe diseonneoted froxn said plate only through the passage 26. After the head 39 has been inserted in the manner just mentioned, the plate 28 being in such a position that the passages 34 register with the passages 26,it is turned as illustrated by doi;taed lines in Fig. 5, so the projeetions 34 cover the passages 26, whieh prevents said head froxn being detached and locks the coupling lherewith.

40 indicates Lwo slides, whioh are adjustably located on that portion of the belt 1 which engages the patienlas back. They being the san1e construction, I will lin1ib my deseription to one. Formed in one side of said slide is a vertieal slob 41, and a slot 42 is also formed therein which oomnnunioates With said first mentioned slot, anti the inner end 43 thereof is enlarged for a purpose hereinafter mentioned. 44 and 45 indieate strengthening ribs, which are formed integral with said slide adjaoent the ends thereof, and a suitable dis tanee from the side 130 form a passage through whieh the hell; is adapted to pass. Formed on the rib 45 are a series of teeth 46 t0 engage the belt and. retain said slide in the re-= quired position therewith. When it is de== sired 130 adj ust the slide relative to the belt, the

IOO

IIO

operator pushes the belt over so it will disentudinally on said belt to the required position. 'lhe spaee between the rib, which carries said teeth, and the adjacent side of the s1ide, is wide enough to perrnit this operation. 47 indicates two elastie under-straps. One end of each of these under-straps 47 is construeted With a, coupling 48, ehe same in eonstruetion as thecoupling 37, and isprovided with a, projection and a head. This head is inserted into the slide 40 through t-he enlarged end 43 of 11116,

slot 42, so that the head Will be 0n one side while the coupling is on the other side of the slide 40, thus preventing it from being detaehed from the slide while the belt is in practica1 use. Oonnected t0 eaeh of the opposite ends 0f the under-straps is, a coupling 49 whieh is constrneted with a projeetion and a head 50. This coupling is sirnilar in coustruotion to the coupling 37 and the head 50 is the sa1ne in size as the head 39, so that it ean readily be inserted through one ot the passages 26and be locked there'in in the same manner as the coupling 37 is locked t0 the plate 21. This coupling 49 is construeted with a narrow projeetion 51 over which 13110 adjacent end 0f the under-strap is doubled and conliected t-hereto by means of stitehes 52,there being suitable apertures formed in the projection 51 t0 allow said stitches to pass through. Each 0f the under-straps 47 is donbled back fron1 the conpling 49 about half way the length of said strap and the donbled portion is covered With a covering 53, preferab1y chamois skin, and is connected to Ehe e1astic strap and the eoupling 49 by the stitches 52 passing through it. 'lhe object of these coverings is to prevent the straps from rubbing the patie1i t-, as they will contraet and expand as the patient moves, and by these coverings being loose 0n said straps bhey will adhere to the body and allow the straps as they expand and contract t0 move through them, thus taking the friction off frorn the body.

When it is desired t0 apply the trnss t0 a patient, the operator first adj usts the belt 1 to the desired length by the buckle 3 and applies the be1u in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1. The pressure of the be1t l upon the body can be regulated by the eonneeting-strap 35, as it is provided with a buckle 36 f0r this purpose. By the construation of the nnder-straps, they can be made to readily engage and disengage the belt in the manner hereinbefore stated, and passing around the body, as illus trated in Fig. l, they prevent the hell; 1 fron1 slipping up and hold ir in the required position to retain the pa ds with the hernia. The springs 9 being conne'aeted t0 the springs 5 in the manner hereinbefore stated, when pressnre is brought; to bear upon the pad 10, sa.id springs Will band down upon the springs 5, and said springs 5 will forn1 the fulcrum f0r said springs 9, andeause the resilieney 0f -the springs 9 to be the same, as they trav5l their entire length upon the springe 5. These springs 9 are a suitable amount thinner and narrower ab their free end to overeome the resilieney as the fnlcrum grows closer t0 bhe pad;

In Figs. 12 and 13 I have shown modifioations 0f the springs 9, and in a great many cases I have found by practical experience that these forms are preferable to the forn1 dllustrated in Fig. 11..

By the construction of the pad with a bal1 and Socket, in will readily yield to the motion 0f the paitient and retain its normal position with the hernia, and it being adj ustable relative t o the spring, it can be easily adjusted to eonfdrrn with the hernia without interfering With the belt.

As shown in the drawings and described in 13136 specification, there are two pads connected '00 the belt, but the belb can be constructed with but one pad withoub materially alcering-- my invenlsion.

What I claim is A truss constructed with an elastic belt 1, stiffening devices 2 and 4 connected so the ends of said belt, a, non-elastic connebting strap 352 0ne end of whieh is eonnected t0 the stiffening device 2 a.nd the opposite end 130 the device 4 by means of the locking devices 21 which are eonnected tosaid stift'ening-devices, elastie under straps 47 eonneeted t0 the locking-deviees 21, the opposite endls connected o0 Lhe adjustable slides 40 whic:h eure located 011 the back of the bellt l, eovering 52 connected. to the ends 0f the elastic under straps adjaeent to the loeking devices 21, springs 5 in eombination with be stiffening=devices 2 and 4, springs 9 eonnected 1:0 the -springs 5, and pads 10 connected o0 the outer free ends 0f the spring 9, substantialfly as seu forth.

In testimony whereoflaffix my signature in presence of two witznesses.

CLAUDIUS VERNIAUD.

IOO 

